'No explanation is forthcoming'... mother murdered by son in brutal attack

A mother was murdered by her son in unexplained circumstances during a ‘sustained’ and ‘violent’ attack.

Stephen Ball, 32, was told he would serve a minimum of 15 years before he can be considered for release after he killed his mother, 55-year-old Suzanne Galvin. Police were called to the house they shared in Bury after receiving reports from neighbours of a disturbance, Bolton Crown Court heard.

Ball had been heard shouting 'thieving b****' and 'Mum, let me in'. He had called his grandmother who lived in Ireland, claiming that he had discovered his mother injured in the flat and struggling to breathe. She also alerted the emergency services in England.

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When the emergency services arrived at the property on Pear Avenue on September 16 last year, they discovered that Ms Galvin had suffered ‘serious injuries’ as a result of a ‘violent assault’. She died two days later from head injuries sustained by ‘blunt force’.

A pathologist noticed that she had sustained ‘distinctive’ bruising to her face which were ‘consistent with kicks or stamping’. The bruising was also consistent with the sole of Ball's Asics trainers. Ms Galvin had also suffered bruising to both arms and both of her forearms were fractured.

Ball was arrested at the scene and later quizzed by detectives. “No explanation was given by you as to why the attack upon your mother took place,” Judge Martin Walsh said at Ball’s sentencing hearing.

“You did not give evidence during the course of the trial, and so no explanation is forthcoming as to the circumstances in which your mother was killed.” The court was told that Ball and Ms Galvin had an 'argumentative and aggressive' relationship, and that they both struggled with addiction. Ms Galvin was seen with facial injuries in the days before her death.

Judge Walsh said there was evidence of ‘violent and threatening behaviour’ prior to the killing displayed by Ball towards his mother, and further evidence that he had been taking drugs in those days. In 2019, Ball was jailed for four years for inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Ball admitted manslaughter on the basis of the partial defence of diminished responsibility. He denied murder but jurors found him guilty following a week-long trial.

Following her death, a tribute to Ms Galvin was released by her family which read: “Susanne was greatly loved by her parents and family and will be sadly missed.”

Sentencing, the judge accepted that Ball had been suffering from mental health issues. He told the defendant: “I am satisfied that you have suffered from a long standing schizoaffective disorder, which has been exacerbated by the long standing, voluntary misuse of illicit drugs, and a failure to take prescribed medication. This conclusion is not inconsistent with the verdict of the jury, who of course were not satisfied on a balance of probability that any abnormality of mental functioning which may have existed gave rise to diminished responsibility for the killing of your mother.”

Ball was sentenced to life in prison, to serve a minimum of 15 years. He is currently undergoing treatment at Ashworth high-security psychiatric hospital in Merseyside.

Ball is set to remain there for the foreseeable future, after the doctor in charge of his care said that Ashworth would apply for him to remain there to continue his treatment. Judge Walsh said: “Although the sentence of the court is one of imprisonment for life, it is likely that you will be detained and treated in Ashworth hospital unless and until the treating clinicians conclude that your detention in hospital for treatment is no longer necessary.

“In the event of this happening, you will then be transferred to prison, where you will remain in custody, unless and until the Parole Board concludes that it is safe to release you on licence into the community.”

Defending, Michael Brady KC said that the murder of his mother is something that Ball ‘bitterly, bitterly regrets’. He said that the defendant retains the support of his family, including his grandmother Mary Galvin, the mother of Suzanne Galvin.

She has visited him in hospital and plans to do so again before Christmas, Mr Brady said. The KC said that the attack was not premeditated, and said that Ball had not intended to kill his mother.

Mr Brady said of the defendant: “He hopefully will continue to receive the treatment that is clearly doing him some very real good. He does appear to be improving. He is, we would say, in the right place.”